COUDERSPORT – As far as Coudersport wrestling head coach John Bishel knows, the Falcons had only defeated Ridgway once in school history.
Coudersport (10-4) also has never made it to the state duals championships. After the Falcons won 43-32 Thursday night in what their coach called their best performance of the season, Bishel’s team is squarely focused on trying to improve and qualify for states.
“We’ve kind of had this one asterisked on our schedule, especially being a home meet,” Bishel said. “We’ve been trying to stress to the kids that no matter where you fall on our team, every match you’re responsible for 12 points. You can get six, you can give up six and you can do anything in between. The goals are different for each kid and that’s what we’ve been trying to stress, just getting a little bit better every day, every week.”
Bishel was happy with his team’s effort against one of the district’s historically dominant programs.
“This is one of the best top to bottom efforts we’ve seen all season,” Bishel said. “Even some of the kids who were clearly outmatched tonight fought like crazy. We have a couple freshmen who really really stepped up tonight. Aristotle Smith at 126, [Thomas] Wilson at 132. It was a great effort from all of them.”
Bishel’s squad can now focus on another goal after taking down the Elkers. The Falcons – the defending Allegheny Mountain Wrestling League champions – have never advanced to the state duals championships, and this year District 9 sends both its champion and runner-up to the meet.
“We won the league last year and the obvious goal is to repeat, but with District 9 sending two team to states, it’s another goal that Coudersport has never been there,” Bishel said, noting defending state champion Brookville is atop the district. “Brookville being the obvious No. 1 seed, we needed this win to be able to hopefully get ourselves opposite that bracket. Then if they wrestle like they did tonight, [Coudersport has] got a good shot.”
Both teams won six matches on the night, but Coudersport took advantage of forfeits at 182 and 195 pounds to ultimately come away with the team victory.
The Falcons’ Isaac Wright got things going as the meet got underway at 170 pounds. An early takedown of Robert Briggs paved the way for a convincing 14-5 victory.
The two forfeits preceded five consecutive pins, starting at 220 pounds when Coudersport’s Corey Thompson dispatched Hunter Kos early in the second period. Ridgway finally got on the board when Colton McClain took out Jeffrey Gunn in 32 seconds.
Gary Emerick and Kyle Bush then added wins for the Elkers, before Trevor Olney turned the momentum back in Coudersport’s favor with a 41 second pin of Luke Tomaski.
Logen McClain’s technical pin against Thomas Wilson put the Elkers ahead for the first time at 32-28. Not to be outdone by three McClain wins for Ridgway, the Kudricks of Coudersport came up large for the Falcons in the middle weights with the team score tight.
At 145 pounds, Dustin Kudrick controlled Ridgway’s Billy Urman. Urman did his best to avoid a pin, but Kudrick finally broke through with the inevitable, getting the pin as the first-period buzzer sounded to put Coudersport back ahead.
Then at 152 pounds, David Kudrick outlasted Jonathan Francis, 7-2.
“Both Kudrick boys have basically been having to wrestle up all year until we get one of our wrestlers back,” Bishel said. “David is actually closer to 138-pound and he’s wrestling 152. Just a solid, solid effort.”
The Falcons travel to Kane for a league match on Tuesday before competing in the Mercer tournament next Friday and Saturday.
At Coudersport
Coudersport 43, Ridgway 32
106 – Gary Emerick (R) pinned Chris Davis, :28
113 – Kyle Bush (R) pinned Donovan Olney, :26
120 – Trevor Olney (C) pinned Luke Tomaski, :41
126 – Bryce Barclay (R) defeated Aristotle Smith, 6-2
132 – Lukas McClain (R) technical pinned Thomas Wilson, 15-0
138 – Logen McClain (R) pinned Chase Fuller, 3:20
145 – Dustin Kudrick (C) pinned Billy Urman, 2:00
152 – David Kudrick (C) defeated Jonathan Francis, 7-2
160 – Gage Arnold (C) pinned Damon Kelly, 3:52
170 – Isaac Wright (C) defeated Robert Briggs, 14-5
182 – Eli Ayers (C) won by forfeit
195 – Troy McKeone (C) won by forfeit
220 – Corey Thompson (C) pinned Hunter Kos, :32
HWT – Colton McClain (R) pinned Jeff Gunn, :32
